Conservation groups applaud signing of water bill

June 24, 2010

Columbia, SC – On Thursday June 24, 2010 at 2:15 p.m. at the  Charleston  Maritime Center, Governor Mark Sanford will hold a signing ceremony and press conference for a bill that marks an important step toward ensuring reliable, clean water supplies for the state's economy while protecting the health of the state's rivers and lakes. Conservation Voters of South Carolina, American Rivers, the Coastal Conservation League, and other partners worked for over four years to negotiate the provisions in the bill and then helped ensure passage.

In March, after nearly four years of negotiations, the conservation community and other stakeholders reached agreement on S. 452, water withdrawal permitting legislation. According to Ann Timberlake, Executive Director of Conservation Votes of South Carolina, "Passing a water permitting bill out of the Senate and House culminates five years of effort by the conservation community.  Sen. Danny Verdin's and Rep. Jeff Duncan's steady leadership of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees ensured that all stakeholders were heard.  At long last, our state is taking control of managing its long term water needs."

"The majority of South Carolinians get their drinking water from rivers and lakes, so protecting the health of these waterways is essential," said Gerrit Jobsis, Southeast regional director for American Rivers. "This bill is a critical milestone toward smarter, more cost-effective management of our limited water resources. It delivers the reliability and predictability that we all need."

"South Carolina recognizes that water is a public resource that has to be protected from overuse in order to promote fishing, recreation, and navigation.  This bill is an important first step in protecting South Carolina against future droughts and other states that are after our water," said Dana Beach, Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation League.

According to Ben Gregg, Executive Director of South Carolina Wildlife Federation, "This bill will add an additional layer of protection for fisheries, wildlife and boaters."

Rep. David Hiott of Pickens County, a key House champion of the bill, voiced his support:  "Clean abundant water is good for the environment and good for our economy. This legislation will allow South Carolina to better plan for the needs of future industry as well as preserve our state's outdoor heritage for our children and grandchildren."

The Water Withdrawal Permitting, Use, and Reporting Act (S.452) gives water managers a full picture of who is taking how much water and when, and where that water is being used.  A comprehensive assessment of water use is critical to effective water management and is essential as South Carolina negotiates with other states over shared water resources like the Savannah, Catawba-Wateree, and Pee Dee rivers.

The bill also:
  • Establishes a permitting system for water withdrawals over three million gallons per month and lays out requirements to protect fish and wildlife and downstream users.
  • Sets seasonally variable minimum in-stream flows for new users that will protect migrating fish populations and floodplain wetlands, which are important for flood protection and clean water supplies.
  • Requires new users to have contingency plans so that they can cease their consumptive use of water when stream flows get too low, protecting wildlife, navigation, recreation, and downstream users.

The bill signing and press conference will take place at the Charleston Maritime Center which is located at 10 Wharfside St. Charleston, SC, 29401-1596.  The phone number for the Center is 843-853-3625.

Conservation Voters has been turning conservation values into state priorities since 2002. CVSC combines education, accountability and electoral action to create a bipartisan majority of elected leaders committed to a safe, clean and healthy South Carolina.